Who: at VMI When: Saturday, October 8 Where: Lexington, Va. | Patchin Field Time: 3:30 p.m. Live Stats

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team returns to Southern Conference (SoCon) play, as it travels to Lexington, Virginia to battle Virginia Military Institute on Saturday, October 8.
 
The Spartans and Keydets will face off at 3:30 p.m. on Patchin Field.
 
UNCG is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll, No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches South Region, No. 13 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll, and No. 22 in the College Soccer News poll.
 
UNCG is 7-1-3 overall and 1-0 the SoCon. VMI enters the contest 2-7-1 overall and 0-1 in SoCon play.
 
CLIMBING HIGH

• UNCG earned its first United Soccer Coaches national ranking after starting the season 4-0.
• The squad is No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches South Regional poll.
• The Spartans are the highest non-ACC school ranked in the region.
• Most recently, UNCG earned a No. 22 ranking from College Soccer News and earned a No. 13 ranking from TopDrawerSoccer.

AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

• 6^th in goal differential (21)
• 7^th in total goals (29)
• 11^th in scoring offense (2.64)
• 11^th in total points (83)
• 14^th in points per game (7.55)
• 15^th in total assists (25)
• 17^th in corner kicks per game (7.09)
• 21^st in assists per game (2.27)
• 21^st in shots on goal per game (7.09)
• 22^nd in won-lost-tied percentage (0.773)
• 23^rd in team goals against average (0.727) 

SPARTANS AMONG THE NATION

• Niclas Wild – 4th in goalie minutes played (990:00), 27th in goals against average (0.727), 24th in shutouts (4)
• J.C. Ngando – 1^st in total assists (8), 5^th in assists per game (0.73), 30^th in total points (14)
• Ismail El Harchi – 9^th in shot accuracy (0.652), 28^th in game-winning goals (2), 37^th in shots on goal per game (1.50), 43^rd in total points (13), 47^th in total assists (5)
• Steven Hernandez – 47th in total goals (5)

AWARDS

• UNCG swept three-straight SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors and added its fourth of the season with Ismail El Harchi this week
  • Steven Hernandez (Sept. 6)
  • Marco Afonso (Sept. 13)
  • JC Ngando (Sept. 20)
  • Ismail El Harchi (Oct. 4)
• The Spartans also had Niclas Wild be named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 20.
• Afonso was also recognized by TopDrawerSoccer.
• Hernandez was named to College Soccer News Team of the Week.

LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG earned its fourth shutout of the season with a 2-0 victory over in-state non-conference rival Elon at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
• The Phoenix were ranked second in the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic region.
• Ismail El Harchi tallied his fifth goal of the season.
• Jack Birch scored his second goal of the season.
• Niclas Wild, in net, recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season and 17^th in his career.

SOCON PRESEASON POLL & AWARDS
UNCG was voted to take the title in the Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Coaches Poll after winning the 2021 Regular Season Title.
Release
 
J.C. Ngando, Emmanuel Hagan, Marco Milanese, and Niclas Wild all earned Preseason All-Conference recognition.
 
SCOUTING VMI

• The Keydets host their first SoCon game of the season, hosting the Spartans.
• VMI has won two of its last three games.
• Nathan Lam leads the team with two goals.
• Lam has also chipped in three assists.
• Seven Keydets have scored one goal each.
• In net, Gabe Calhoun has averaged 3.13 goals against tallying 44 saves. 

ALL-TIME HISTORY

• UNCG is undefeated against VMI with a 20-0-0 mark.
• The Spartans dominated the Keydets last year with a 7-0 victory at home.